Said Abdel Moneim El Assal was born on September 16, 1962. He began practicing martial arts at the age of 11. His father introduced him to martial arts when he saw that his son was physically weak. After 4 years of training, he joined the Egyptian Karate team. At the age of 16, he began his amateur fighting career as a lightweight at 135 pounds. In 1979, Said was a member of the Egyptian Karate team when it traveled to Tampa, Florida to compete in the WAKO World Championships promoted by Mike Anderson. In his first and only match against a competitor from the United States, "Sherman" faced "Big Train" Bergman, a kickboxer from Miami Beach, Florida, in a non-championship match fought under full-contact rules. Said's victory over the European and British semi-contact middleweight champion Michael Hemming allowed him to "withdraw" due to in...